Round 13 Feature Match:

Josh Bennett

here's been a lot of speculation among players about what record will be needed to make the Top 8. The best guesses have thirty-four points as the mark of safety. That's good news to Sweden's Anton Jonsson, who's sitting pretty on thirty-three with three rounds left to play. Likewise for Cornelissen, who hasn't seen Sunday in a while, and for whom a win would mean a return to greatness.

Jonson shifted gears with Cobalt Golem, but Cornelissen was ready with a Tel-Jilad Archers. Jonsson sighed. He made Fangren Hunter and passed it back. Cornelissen complicated things with a Wurmskin Forger, to which Jonsson's only response was a frown. Jonsson played an Archers of his own and passed it back. Cornelissen bashed with his 5/7 Archers and gently reminded Jonsson that it had protection from artifacts when he tried to gang-block it.

Game 2

In a complete reversal of the first game, Cornelissen got to spend the early turns getting free hits with Tel-Jilad Chosen while Jonsson did nothing but Journey for two lands, then play Mask of Memory, then Gilded Lotus. Unfortunately, Cornelissen had no more inexpensive monsters to punish Jonsson's sluggishness. In his hand were Rustmouth Ogre and Malachite Golem.

Cornelissen stared at Jonsson's wealth of mana.

"Are you afraid?" - Anton Jonsson

Cornelissen laughed and admitted it. He got some lands of his own and gave it back to Jonsson, who untapped with great relish. He tapped his mana with determination, finally stopping when he had enough for Living Hive. He put Mask of Memory on it and gave it back. Cornelissen made the Golem and held back, hoping for the best.

That was certainly not what he got. Jonsson smiled wide and tapped a lot more mana, summoning the Trolls of Tel-Jilad and making his Hive invulnerable. Cornelissen even let him hit once before conceding.

Finally, a forest, and with it Bottle Gnomes. Jonsson accepted four damage and watched as Cornelissen added Tel-Jilad Chosen and Copper Myr to the table. Jonsson played a Journey of his own. Cornelissen hit him for six more and dropped Icy Manipulator, further complicating things for the Swede.

Jonsson smashed it with a Deconstruct and dropped Tel-Jilad Chosen. He needed a little more. Cornelissen brought him to five, losing his Chosen. Jonsson played an Archers and fell to one. Kamiel was running out of gas. He ripped Malachite Golem and put it into play. Jonsson frowned. He spilled out Aether Spellbomb and a second Archers, tapping out. He gave it back to Cornelissen.

Cornelissen drew Electrostatic Bolt. He thought hard, then swung with all his men. Jonsson considered his options before putting both Archers in front of the Golem and the Bottle Gnomes in front of the Hunter. Cornelissen turned over the Bolt, and earned a handshake.